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Step dance is the generic term for dance styles where the footwork is the most important part of the dance. Body and arm movements and styling are either restricted or considered irrelevant.

Step dance is one end of a spectrum of dance styles. The opposite extreme is Formation dance
Formation dance

Formation dance is a style of dancing in which is a choreographed dance routine is performed by several dance couples, called the formation team....
s (eg Square dance
Square dance

The various square dance movements are based on the steps and figures used in traditional folk dances and social dances of the various people who migrated to the USA....
), where the movement patterns around the dance floor and armwork are the most important factors, and the footwork is very simple.






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Step dance is the generic term for dance styles where the footwork is the most important part of the dance. Body and arm movements and styling are either restricted or considered irrelevant.

Step dance is one end of a spectrum of dance styles. The opposite extreme is Formation dance
Formation dance

Formation dance is a style of dancing in which is a choreographed dance routine is performed by several dance couples, called the formation team....
s (eg Square dance
Square dance

The various square dance movements are based on the steps and figures used in traditional folk dances and social dances of the various people who migrated to the USA....
), where the movement patterns around the dance floor and armwork are the most important factors, and the footwork is very simple. Most social dances fall between these two extremes.

There are very few pure step dances, as most include at least some upper body or arm styling. Often step dances performed in shows add elements of show styling, which can bring them into conflict with the traditionalists.

The Irish dance
Irish dance

Dance in Ireland can broadly be divided into social dance and performance dances. Irish social dances can be divided further into c?il? and set dancing....
 tradition includes Irish stepdance
Irish stepdance

Irish stepdance is a type of performance dance originating in Ireland from traditional Irish dance. Irish stepdancing has been recently popularized by the world-famous show "Riverdance" and its followers....
, possibly the best known form of step dance, often marked by rigidly held upper body. Irish stepdance has two main forms: hardshoe, a percussive dance form, and softshoe, a form which is primarily about the movement, not the sound.

Other step dances include Tap
Tap dance

Tap dance was developed in the United States during the nineteenth century, and is popular in many parts of the world. The name comes from the tapping sound made when metal plates on the dancer's shoes touches a hard performance surface....
, Clogging
Clogging

Clogging is a type of folk dance rooted in traditional European dancing from the British Isles, in which the dancer's footwear is used musically by striking the heel, the toe, or both in unison against a floor or each other to create audible percussive rhythms....
, Canadian step dance, Cape Breton
Cape Breton Island

Cape Breton Island is an island on the Atlantic Ocean coast of North America. It likely corresponds to the French word "Breton", referring to Brittany....
 step dance, some forms of Scots and English folk dance and Malambo
Malambo

Malambo is a municipality and town in the Colombia Departments of Colombia of Atl?ntico Department.ReferencesExternal links*...
 from Argentina.

Another form of step dancing, Stepping
Stepping (African-American)

Stepping or step-dancing is a form of percussive dance in which the participant's entire body is used as an instrument to produce complex rhythms and sounds through a mixture of footsteps, spoken word, and hand claps....
, has been popularized by National Pan-Hellenic Council
National Pan-Hellenic Council

The National Pan-Hellenic Council is a collaborative organization of nine historically African American, international greek alphabet fraternities and sororities....
. This step dance has Africa
Africa

Africa is the world's second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km? including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area....
n roots and is an African American tradition as well as part of Black History. The members of the fraternities and sororities join in steps — elaborate synchronized group routines that are performed in competitions between the fraternities and sororities called "step shows." Step shows incorporates cheerleading
Cheerleading

Cheerleading is a sport that uses organized routines that range from 1 minute to 3 minutes made from elements of tumbling, dance, jumps, cheers, and List of cheerleading stunts to direct spectators of events to cheer on sports teams at games and matches and/or compete at cheerleading competitions....
, military, and drill-team
Drill team

A drill team can be one of four different types:# A Military Drill Team is marching unit that performs routines based on military drill. Military drill teams perform either armed or unarmed....
 moves, especially the call-and-response element inherent in those forms. These aspects are not only important to the energy of stepping for entertainment use but also for bonding and pride within their organizations.

"Step is important to the mind and body." - Destiny Ruiz

See also

  • Dance Dance Revolution
    Dance Dance Revolution

    Dance Dance Revolution, stylized DanceDanceRevolution, abbreviated DDR, and previously known as Dancing Stage in PAL territories until the announcement of Dance Dance Revolution X, is a long-standing music video game series produced by Konami....
  • Stepping (African-American)
    Stepping (African-American)

    Stepping or step-dancing is a form of percussive dance in which the participant's entire body is used as an instrument to produce complex rhythms and sounds through a mixture of footsteps, spoken word, and hand claps....